Shloka 2
Śumbha–Niśumbha’s Mobilization After Devī’s Victories
Battle Muster and Omens
किमकार्षीत्ततो ब्रह्मन्नेतन्मे ब्रूहि साम्प्रतम् । शुश्रूषवे जगद्योनेश्चरित्रं पापनाशनम्
kimakārṣīttato brahmannetanme brūhi sāmpratam | śuśrūṣave jagadyoneścaritraṃ pāpanāśanam
“O Brahman, what did he do after that? Tell me this now. Eager to listen, I seek the sin-destroying sacred account of the Womb of the universe (the Supreme Lord).”
A disciple-like listener addressing a Brahmin narrator (contextually a sage questioning the recounting authority in the Umāsaṃhitā)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Role: teaching
FAQs
It elevates śravaṇa (devotional listening) as a purifying act: hearing the Lord’s caritra—Shiva as the source of the universe—destroys pāpa and turns the mind toward liberation.
By asking for the Lord’s “caritra,” the verse affirms Saguna devotion—approaching Shiva through narrated deeds and divine qualities, which traditionally support Linga-worship by deepening faith and remembrance.
Regular śravaṇa and kīrtana of Shiva-kathā—especially on auspicious days like Mahāśivarātri—paired with japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” as a practical takeaway.